Toy cash register



Mar c h 3, 1970 Filed NOV. 28, 1967 M; H. LEWIS TOY CASH REGISTER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 MARTIN LEW/I8 INVENTOR.

March 3, 1970 M. H. LEWIS 3,497,

' TOY CASH REGISTER Flled Nov. 28, 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MAR TIN H-[-6015 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,497,991 TOY CASH REGISTER Martin H. Lewis, 94Brentwood Lane, Valley Stream, N.Y. 11581 Filed Nov. 28, 1967, Ser. No.686,190

Int. Cl. A63h 33/30 US. Cl. 46--2 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Atoy bank or cash register shaped to resemble a conventional cashregister and having a coin opening and a window through which a rotativemoney-designating cylinder is visible. A plunger located at one side ofthe body operates through a ratchet mechanism to rotate the cylinderwith a step-by-step movement to thereby present differentmoneydesignations on the cylinder in registry with the window. A bell isprovided and a clapper therefor is caused to ring the bell each timethat the plunger is depressed and the ratchet mechanism is thusactuated.

The invention relates to toys and more particularly to a type of toybank that is constructed to resemble a cash register and simulate theoperation thereof.

It is an object of the invention to provide an article of this characterwhich can be inexpensively made, and with its parts composed of aplastic material; which is constructed to resemble a cash register inboth appearance and operation; which can be easily operated by a childand which can be used educationally and if desired, for the promotion ofsaving.

With these and other objects hereinafter set forth in view, I havedevised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularlypointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is disclosed.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a toy cash register constructedaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a view of the plunger looking at the back side thereof;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the plunger, taken substantially onthe line 44 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a face view of the rotor and plunger hous- 8;

FIG. 6 is a view from the rear of the housing of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a face view of the rotor, showing the ratchet wheel thereon;

FIG. 8 is a view of the opposite side of the rotor;

FIG. 9 is a scetional view, taken substantially on the line 99 of FIP.8, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 1010 ofFIG. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows and with the rotor shownin position, and

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but with the front wall of thehousing broken away to disclose construction.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, itwill be therein noted that the simulated or toy cash register and bankincludes a casing 11 which can, if desired, be composed of plasticmaterial and it has the general shape of the body of the known type ofcash register. On the front wall 12 of the casing is provided simulatedkeys 13 and other printing or indicia or decorations may be provided tofurther secure the aspect of a cash register. Near the top of the casing11 is a coin slot 14 through 'which coins may be passed to enter intoand be passed to enter into and be collected within the casing tothereby enable the same to function as a bank.

The casing 11 is provided near its upper end with a window opening 14athrough which a cylinder or drum 15 is visible. The cylinder bearsperipheral money-designations or numerals or perhaps other markings. Thecylin der or drum is adapted to be rotatively moved by plunger operationwith a step-bystep movement as will be herein described.

The mechanism for actuating or rotating the cylinder 15 is contained ina partly cylindrical, relatively flat housing 16. Said housing can becomposed of plastic material and it includes a front wall or face plate17 and an integral peripheral side wall or skirt 18. Projectinglaterally from the side wall 18 are a number of lugs 19 which receivescrews 20 (FIG. 1) by means of which the housing 16 is securely fastenedto the side wall 21 of the casing 11. The construction of the housing 16is disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6. It will be therein seen that the frontwall or face plate 17 has a stud 22 projecting inwardly toward the wall21 and on which a rotor 23 is rotatively mounted. The casing 16 is alsoprovided with a stud 24 on its outer face and on which a bell 25 issecured by means of the screw shown at 26 which enters the stud 24.

At 27 is shown an arcuately shaped springy strip, having one end fixedlyattached to at 29, or formed integrally with the outside face of thehousing 16, said strip being provided at its opposite end with acylindrical cross member or head 28. A portion of the head 28 is locatedon the outside of the face plate 17 and on the inside of the bell 25,while the remainder of the head is located inside of the housing 16 forcontact with lugs 33 provided on the rotor 23. The strip 27 and itsattached head constitutes a bell clapper and it is disposed adjacent toan arcuate slot 30 that is enlarged at one end as shown at 31 to permitpassage of the head 28 through it and to also permit the requiredmovement of the clapper when it is flexed and then released to cause itto strike the bell 25.

The rotor 23 is shown in detail in FIGS. 7 to 11 and It will be therenoted that the same is in the form of a disk provided on one of itsfaces with an undulated flange shaped to form a ratchet wheel 32. Thesame face of the rotor is provided with a plurality of projectingangular lugs 33 corresponding in number to the number of teeth on theratchet wheel, each of the lugs 33 being disposed adjacent to one of theteeth. The rotor is provided with a central hole 34 which fits over thestud 22 on the inside of the housing to permit the rotative movement ofthe rotor relatively to the housing 16. A suitable washer or otherretaining means may be used to hold the rotor in place on the stud 22.The opposite face of the rotor is provided with an annular wall orflange 35 and also with four projecting pins 36 over which the cylinder15 is fitted and which can be cemented or otherwise attached to the pins36 in order to thereby arrange the cylinder axially of the rotor.

The rotor is actuated or rotated with a step-by-step movement by meansof a plunger 36a which can also be made of plastic material. Saidplunger is guided in its up and down movements by guide walls 37 and 38formed as an integral part of the housing 16 and said plunger isconfined behind the lugs shown at 39 respectively formed on the walls 37and 38. A compression coil spring 40, located behind the plunger servesto normally bias the plunger to its raised or elevated position as shownin FIGS. 1 and 5.

Projecting from one of the side walls of the plunger is adownwardly-directed finger or blade 42, the same being so disposed thatupon the downward depression of the plunger the finger or blade 42engages one of the teeth on the ratchet wheel 32 and rotates it in thedirection of the arrow shown in FIG. 11, and consequently the cylinder15 attached to the rotor, for a portion of a turn. As the drum orcylinder 15 turns under the depression of the plunger, one or the otherof the lugs 33 will engage against thepart of the head 28 of the bellclapper that is located on the inside of the housing 16, and as such lugseeks to move past the clapper, it will flex the clapper strip 27 in adirection away from the bell 25. When the lug 33 passes the head 28 ofthe clapper, the clapper will spring back and will strike the bell tocause it to ring. The plunger is provided with a curved top or handle 55by means of which it can be easily depressed.

Projecting inwardly from the side wall 18 of the housing 16 is a springyfinger 50, constituting a dog or pawl for the ratchet wheel 32, the sameengaging against the teeth and holding the ratchet wheel againstbackward rotation.

From the foregoing, the operation of'the toy will be readily apparent.Each time that the plunger 36a is depressed, the rotor 23 and hence thecylinder or drum 15 attached to it, will be rotated for a portion of aturn. This will bring the difierent arbitrary money-designations borneby the drum 15 into register with the window 14a to simulate the ringingup of money deposited. When the rotor moves past the tongue or pawl 50it flexes the same slightly with an audible snap action which causes aslight noise that simulates the opening of a cash drawer of aconventional cash register. At the same time one of the lugs 33, passingthe clapper head 28, will flex the body 27 of the clapper and will causethe head 28 to strike the bell and create a ringing sound.

The article is so constructed that the same may be fabricatedinexpensively since all of the major parts namely, the casing, thehousing, the plunger and the rotor may be composed of plastic. The drumor cylinder 15 can also be made of plastic or it can be a simplecardboard tube. The eflect obtained when used by a child is realisticand the device is not only useful as an interesting and amusing toy, butwill be found to serve as a bank and possibly promote saving habits bychildren.

What I claim is:

1. A toy simulating a cash register comprising, a casing adapted toresemble that of a cash register, said casing having a window opening, adrum rotative within the casing and having money-designations on itsperiphery for successive presentation at the window opening by therotative movement of the drum, a ratchet wheel coupled to the drum, aplunger for engaging and turning the ratchet wheel with a step-by-stepmovement, a bell and a clapper therefor operative by turning of theratchet wheel to ring the bell and means for preventing counter rotationof the ratchet wheel.

2. A toy according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet wheel consists of adisk having ratchet teeth at one face, said disk carrying lugs whichsuccessively engage the clapper and cause the same to contact with thebell when the disk is rotated.

3. A toy according to claim 2, wherein the ratchet wheel and the lugsare both on one side of the disk and the money-designating drum isattached at the opposite side of the disk.

4. A toy according to claim 1, wherein the casing has a coin slot in afront wall, a housing disposed on the outside of one of the side wallsof the casing, the ratchet wheel being contained in said housing, thebell being at tached to the outside of the housing, and the plunger b 1ing contained in the housing and on the outside of the casing.

5. A toy according to claim 1, wherein the plunger is spring-biased to araised position, the plunger having a finger for engaging the ratchetwheel and causing the rotation of the same for a part of a turn uponeach depres sion of the plunger.

6. A toy according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet wheel is contained ina housing attached alongside the casing, said housing being providedwith an integrally formed pawl engaging the ratchet wheel, the ballclapper being formed integrally with the housing and the plunger havingan integrally formed finger for engaging and rotating the ratchet wheelon each depression of said plunger.

7. A toy simulating a cash register comprising, a plastic casing shapedto resemble the body of a cash register, said casing having a side wall,a flat, partly-cylindrical housing secured against the side wall, arotor rotatively mounted within the housing, said casing having a windowopening, a drum rotative within the casing and having money-designationson its periphery for successive representation at the window opening bythe rotative moveside of the housing and a part disposed at the insideof the housing, the device including a ratchet wheel portion on therotor and a plurality of projecting clapper-actuating lugs on the rotor,a spring-biased plunger operative in the housing on the ratchet wheelfor rotatively moving the rotor and causing the lugs thereon to contactwith and springably flex the clapper strip and cause the same by itsreaction, to ring the bell and means for preventing counter rotation ofthe ratchet wheel.

8. A toy according to claim 5, wherein the lugs are located within theratchet wheel and which lugs engage the part of the clapper strip headthat is located Within the housing and cause the part of the sameoutside of the housing to ring the bell, the plunger being provided witha finger for engaging the ratchet wheel.

9. A toy according to claim 4, in which the finger is made of springymaterial, and the means for preventing counter rotation of the ratchetwheel comprising a spring finger carried by the housing.

10. A toy according to claim 7, in which the plunger carries a springfinger for engaging the ratchet wheel, and the means for preventingcounter rotation comprising a spring finger carried by the housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RUSSELL R. KINSEY, PrimaryExaminer R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US, X.

